UPON THE FIRST SNOW-STORM OF THE SEASON:
BLAKE & COLTRANE IN ESPERANTO

In honor of John Coltrane's 75th birthday
(23 September 1926 - 17 July 1967)

Editorial note: Here is a poem I wrote in Esperanto several years ago (22 January 1987) with a pretty literal (not pretty, just literal) English translation. The poem was published in Latinamerika Memuaro, #6, 1989, pp. 6-8, and later in La Kancerkliniko, #57, January-March 1991. The poem was published with a three-page commentary in which I explain what it means in detail and my personal philosophy with it, as well as identify John Coltrane and William Blake for my reading audience. I did not bother to look up the original Blake quotes for translation back into English; I just translated them from the Esperanto, so forgive the inaccuracies. I've decided not to torment you at this time with a translation of my three-page commentary on my own poem, but here is the poem anyway, which may mean something to you, maybe not. (14 December 1994) 

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UPON THE FIRST SNOW-STORM OF THE SEASON

by Ralph Dumain

For fortification, a megadose
  of John Coltrane and I'm flying
    aiming to liberate everyone,
       liberate every sentence, every word,
        every morpheme, until atoms burst
          for joy not war.
        Behold expansion and its opposite —
       maximum tension —
    out of notes — an order
  fine and ecstatic.

To purify with beauty,
  to touch with beauty.
    Indeed there are waves
       of which each is an ocean
         of wisdom.
       There is no need for the refuse of religion
    to wipe away all doubt.
  Here is the ontology of matter,
and its ecstatification
  and its animation.

My Blake-units of mental fury
  repeat:
    "Put off holiness
       and put on intellect."
    Don't whisper it, shout it.
  Don't talk about it, show it;

  "until the daughters of memory give way
  to the daughters of inspiration."

(English translation
14 December 1994)

JE UNUA NEĜOŜTORMO ĈISEZONA

de Ralph Dumain

Por fortikig', dozego
  de John Coltrane kaj mi flugas
    celante liberigi ĉiun,
      liberigi ĉiun frazon, ĉiun vorton,
        ĉiun vorteton, ĝis atomoj krevos
          pro ĝojo ne milito.
        Jen ampleksiĝ' kaj malo —
      tensio maksimuma —
    el notoj ordo
  fajna kaj ekstaza.

Purigi per belo,
  tuŝi per belo.
    Ja estas ondoj
      el kiuj ĉiu estas mar'
        da saĝo.
      Ne bezonatas religi' fatrasa
    por forviŝi ĉian dubon.
  Jen ontologi' de materi'
kaj ĝia ekstaziĝo,
  kaj ĝia animiĝo.

Miaj Blake-eroj da mensa furiozo
  ripetas:
    "Demetu sanktecon,
      surmetu penson."
    Ne flustru ĝin, kriu ĝin.
  Ne diru ĝin, montru ĝin;

"ĝis filinoj de memoro cedos
al filinoj de inspiro."

Originale verkita en Esperanto (je 1987.01.22); publikigita en Latinamerika Memuaro, n-ro 6, 1989, p. 6-8; & en La Kancerkliniko, n-ro 57, Januaro-Marto 1991; kune kun 3-paĝa memkomentaro ne publikigita ĉi tie.

©1989, 1991, 1994, 2001 Ralph Dumain. All rights reserved.

"La Socia Enhavo de l'Ĵazmuziko" de Roland Levreaud

The Theory & Practice of John Coltrane

John Coltrane on Black Music and Affirmative Philosophy

Black Studies, Music, America vs Europe

William Blake Study Guide

William Blake en/in Esperanto

Esperanto Study Guide / Esperanto-Gvidilo

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